CHAPTER VIII
By the last week in July Mr.
Busby was next to finished at the
Radcliffe house. There were only
the loose ends to be tucked in.
Janet began uneasily to wonder
what would happen next. She had
after considerable research decid
ed on exactly what furnishings the
old mansion required. She had
the names of dealers and prices at
her tongue’s end, as well as neatly
put down in a slender red note
book for Tony Ryan’s consider
ation.
Deke had been engaged for sev
eial days in carefully weeding
out the flower beds at the sides of
the Radcliffe mansion. It was
work at which he could sit down
if his leg troubled him. The
business of pruning the trees and
cutting back the heavy shrubbery
was to be left to Rufe under the
supervision of the Earl of Jer
sey, so Deke said.
“Mr. Tony knows I can’t han
die no scythe,” chuckled Deke,
but he promised to skin me
alive if I missed ary weed in
these here flower beds. Mr. Tony
can’t stand nothing sloverny.”
Janet’s lips curled. “He ex
pects you to earn your keep, does
he?”
“Yas’m nothing like being able
to eat your cake and have it too,”
she remarked. “I mean, it isn’t
everyone who can make a beau
tiful gesture pay.”
“Yas’m,” agreed Deke doubt
fully.
He had no idea what she was
talking about, but the man who
had come up behind her knew.
■“I’ve seen the skids put under
too many Good Time Charlies to
let that happen to me,” said Tony
Ryan in a hard voice.
Janet turned with a little gasp.
He had come in through the rear
gate. Under the dark tan of his
lean cheeks there was a red glow
. like the dusky flush on a copper
vase.
“I’d like if possible to have the
house ready for occupancy by the
twentieth of August,” he said.
“Please buy what you think the
^ house needs and have them send
k the bills to me,” he said crisply.
She winced, and her old antago
nism flared up. “The price is
no object, naturally?” she asked.
He gave her a curious glance.
‘‘I want the best.”
f * * *
Theoretically, after she had
been busy at the office for eight
hours, Berenice should have been
Church Appointments
SPARTA METHODIST CHURCH
L. F. Strader, Minister
Sunday School every Son. at-10
Charles R. Roe, Supt.
Church service, 1st ft 3rd Sun, 11
Epworth League every Sun. 6:80
Hazel Tompkins, Pres.
SPARTA CIRCUIT SERVICES
8hHoh, Second Sunday at 11 o’c.
Piney Creek, 2nd Sun. at 8 o’c.
Gentry Chapel, 1st Sun. at 2 o’c.
.Walnut Branch, 3rd Sun. at 8 o’c.
•ox's Chapel, 4th Sun. at 11 o’c.
Potato Creek, 4th Sun. at 3 o’c.
SPARTA PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
R. L. Berry, Minister
Church service, 2nd Sun. at 7:15.
Church service 4th Sun. at 11 o’e.
Glade Valley, 1st Sun. 11 ft 7:15.
Glade Valley, 2nd Sun. at 11 o’e.
Glade Valley, 3rd Sun. 11 ft 7:16.
Rocky Ridge, 2nd Sun. at 3 o’c.
Rocky Ridge, 3rd Sun. at 3 o’c.
SPARTA BAPTIST CHURCH
(Meeting in Presbyterian Church)
Sunday School every Sun. at 9:45
Amos Wagoner, Acting Supt.
Church Wervice, 2nd ft 4th Sun. 11
Baptist Tr. Union ev*y Sun. 6:80
PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
C. B. Kilby — S. G. Caudill
Pastors
Church service, 3rd Sat. and Sun.
In each month, at 11 o’c.
REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCHES
of Littla River Aon.
Big Springs, 2nd Sat. and San.
Doable Spring, 1st Sat. and San.
Landmark, 4th Sat. and San.
Laurel Glen, 1st Sat and San.
Mountain View, Srd Sat and Son.
Mt. Ararat, 4th Sat. and Son.
Mt Carmel, 8rd Sat and San.
Mt Olivet 1st Sat and Son.
New Bethel, Srd Sat and Son.
New Salem, 2nd Sat and San.
Pleasant Home, 8rd Sat and San.
Prather’s Creek, 2nd Sat A Sun.
Roaring Gap, 1st Sat and Sun.
Saddle Mountain, 4th Sat A Sun.
South Fork, 4th Sat and Sun.
UNION BAPTIST ASS’N.
Regular Church Services
Cherry Lane, 4th Sat and Sun.
Glade Creek, 1st Sat. and Sun
Liberty, 2nd Sat and Sun.
Mount Union, 1st Sat. and Sun.
Pleasant Grove, 8rd Sat and Sun.
Saddle Mtn., 8rd Sat. and Sun.
Whitehead, 2nd Sat and Sun.
Welcome Home, 4th Sat and Sun.
.... ..xm.
satisfied to stay quietly at home
with Bill at night, only it had
not worked out that way. She
was generally tired by five and
more and more inclined to feel
sorry for herself because her
friends had been doing nothing
all day except play bridge or
otherwise amuse themselves. She
formed the habit of stopping in at
one of their apartments after
work. Usually The Bunch was to
gether somewhere having cock
tails. They encouraged her to
join them.v
When she came into the apart
ment that afternoon Bill was
slamming things around in the
kitchenette. “Hullo,” he said
without looking up, his face like
a thundercloud.
“Hullo,” said Berenice coldly,
going into the dressing room to
put her hat and gloves away.
The living room needed clear
ing of cigarette butts and scatter
ed newspapers.
as I can climb into my best bib.”
* * *
When Berenice let herself back
into the apartment a little after
two Bill was there asleep on his
side of the bed.
She closed the dressing room
door cautiously before she started
to undress. Her hands were not
quite steady and her eyes did
not focus correctly. That was
how she happened to pull open
Bill’s drawer instead of her own
in the chifforobe. That was why
she did not at once recognize
the stack of neatly cut out pic
tures which lay on Bill’s pile of
handkerchiefs.
The local newspaper had been
running a contest for eight weeks.
Each day they published a pic
ture puzzle. There was a grand
prize of five thousand dollars and
a second of a thousand and a
third of five hundred and forty of
five dollars each. Berenice had
never dreamed Bill was working
“The price is no object, naturally?” she asked
“Come and get it,” called Bill
from the dinette.
“Have you thought any more
about going to the Fair with the
bunch?” she asked after a while.
“For Pete’s sake,” he protested,
“what is there to think about?
I can’t afford a jaunt like that
and you know it!”
She meant to be generous, her
heart was full of tenderness when
she said, “I have money enough
in the bank to pay our expenses
to the Fair, Bill, if you’ll go.”
He started to his feet so vio
lently she dropped her fork.
“What are you trying to make
out of me?” he cried in a tor
tured voice. “A gigolo?”
Berenice’s cheeks flamed. “It’s
like you to be that unjust,” she
said. “Has it occurred to you
that after I’ve pounded the type
writer from nine to five I’m not
exactly in the mood to be shouted
at the rest of the night?” she
demanded.
Bill’s mouth tightened. “Maybe
you think I’m crazy about com
ing home to this sort of thing
when I’ve tramped the streets all
day trying to sell advertising?”
“Is that why you’re not so hot
at it?” she asked stingingly.
He picked his hat up from
where he had flung it down on
I the littered desk. He did not
! speak or glance back as he jerked
open the door and banged it be
hind him. Berenice stood very
still, listening to his retreating
steps. Suppose Bill did not come
back?
She had a longing to run to her
mother, to hide her head in
Anne’s lap as she had done when
a child if she had had a night
mare or been frightened at some
thing. She had stretched out her
hand to take up the telephone
when it rang. Berenice had
meant to call Anne and ask if
she could come over, but May
was on the wire. “Meet us down
in the lobby, kid. You and Bill
are riding in our car.”
“Bill isn’t here," stammered
Berenice, trying to conceal that
she was crying. “We had one
of our famous battles and he
walked out on me.”
“He’ll be back,” said May
with a hearty laugh, “Surely you
aren’t going to give him the
satisfaction of staying at home
and moping. That’s exactly what
he’d like.”
Berenice’s round childish chin
hardened. “All right,” she said,
“I’ll meet you downstairs as soon
Reins-Sturdivant
Funeral Home
Licensed
Funeral Directors
and Embalmers
SPARTA, N. 0.
it the contest. Yet there were
;he pictures pains-takingly puzzled
sut and lettered in Bill’s small
cramped printing. Berenice’s
heart ached.
He had secured duplicate of
aach puzzle so that the set he
finally sent in should be neat and
legible. These were the ones he
had worked from. They were
almost tattered where he had
written in and then rubbed out
and rewritten his answers. In
spots the cheap ragged paper
had been worn through in holes
from his patient eraser.
“Oh, poor Bill!” Berenice whis
pered to herself.
For all the pictures were torn
in half and in the waste basket
beside the chifforobe lay a crumpl
ed newspaper. Berenice picked
it up with shaking hands. There
were the names of the winning
contestants. The winner of the
grand prize headed them all in
huge black letters, the second
in smaller type, the third in still
smaller print, and at the bottom
the inconspicuous column of forty
who received five dollars each.
Berenice’s trembling finger ran
down the list. Bill had not re
ceived a prize, not any at all. His
name did not appear anywhere
on the page. Berenice felt an
anguish of pity. She knew why
Bill had wanted five thousand
dollars, why he had clutched at
this forlorn hope to save his self
respect, but he had failed.
“Oh, Bill!” whispered Berenice,
crawling into bed beside him and
putting her arm across him.
But even in his sleep he flinch
ed away from her.
* * *
Gradually the stately old house
began again to take on a gracious
and gleaming aspect. Worn
floors and wainscoting developed
a satin sheen. In the dining room
a Sheraton table and white leath
er-seated chairs rested on a hand
woven blue rug. Upstairs, prim
ruffled white curtains framed the
windows of bedrooms in which
there were mahogany four-poster
beds and slipper chairs and chintz
covered chaise longues.
“Almost finished,” breathed
J Janet one, sultry afternoon toward
j the middle of August. “The soon
|er I get away from here the bet
iter. The first thing I know I’ll
be breaking down and sobbing on
the interloper’s hearth rug.”
A man stood at the foot of the
stairs. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I
didn’t mean to startle you.”
He was a slight man, thin for
his height. He looked to be about
forty-five and his expensively tai
lored gray suit was a little shiny
at the seams.
“You are Miss Phillips, of
course,” he went on. “I’m Steve
Hill, a friend of Tony’s. He’s
done me a great service by being
alive.”
The next afternoon he was in
the library when she arrived,
sitting on the cushioned window
seat, turning the leaves of an
exceptionally fine copy of Tristan
and Isolde.
“Allah be praised, you don’t
buy books for the color of their
bindings!” he said.
Janet stared at him critically as
he talked on. He did not sound
like a bum, but neither did the
Earl of Jersey. Steve Hill had a
sensitive mobile face, and he
seemed to have read everything
worth reading and to have seen
everything worth seeing and to
have known everything worth
knowing,
“Sorry,” he said, glancing ab
ruptly .at his watch, “I’m afraid
I’ve bored you.”
She discovered with an incredu
lous start that they had been sit
ting there for an hour while he
literally charmed her with the
gently satirical flow of his con
versation. “No,” she said, “you
haven’t bored me. I doubt if you
ever bored anyone in your life.”
To her dismay his mouth twist
ed with pain. “I failed lament
ably with the one audience in
the world which mattered to me,”
he said and walked quickly away
as if a horde of tormenting
memories had been loosed about
him.
But he was back again the next
afternoon. Janet was hanging
pictures.
“Nothing’s lacking,” she told
Steve Hill, “except the portrait of
my great-grandmother which is in
our living room at home. It be
longs here, commanding the whole
house,” she indicated the space
opposite the wide staircase and
the entrance to the library. “But
nothing could persuade us to part
with it.”
She laughed unsteadily. “There
are some things you can’t put on
the auction block unless it’s a
matter of life and death. At
least we’ve managed to eat with
out pawning great-grandmother.”
She regarded him defiantly. “A
bit of maudlin sentiment, eh,
what? as the Earl of Jersey
would say.”
Steve Hill smiled. “There was
a time when I thought I’d out
grown the old gods, but that’s
merely a phase, you know. In
the end you realize that life with
out sentiment is a wine without
bouquet.”
She caught her breath. “I’d
like you to know my mother,”
she said, and blushed because un
til then she had not known she
approved of him to that extent.
“Would you like to go home
with me tonight to dinner? It’ll
be informal. We live in a flat
and we can’t entertain on an
elaborate scale, but Mother’s the
only person I know of in this
town who could talk to you about
books and philosophy and poetry
and hold her own. You see, she
grew up in a library like this.”
“I’ll be delighted,” he said.
(To Be Continued)
Wait,
A MINUTE!
We want copies of The
Star, The Alleghany Star,
and The Alleghany
Times, published before
1933.
For the oldest copy of each paper in
Volume One delivered to us before June
20 we will pay One Dollar. •
W. S. MEAD - STAR-TIMES
opposite Post Office — Sparta
'.s iva.. .
Maple Shade
Maple Shade, May 13.—Mr. and
Mrs. Vester Peak, of West Vir
ginia, were guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Hix Halsey Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Halsey,
Fox, visited in the home of Ahart
Halsey Sunday.
Misses Grace Kirk and Winnie
Hash, teachers of the Mill Creek
School at Rugby, spent the week
end at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Landreth,
Sparta, were dinner guests of Mrs.
Mae Halsey, Saturday. *
Miss Reka Paisley was a busi
ness visitor at Independence Fri
day.
Miss Lessie Lee Halsey spent
Saturday night and Sunday with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. J.
Halsey.
Mrs. C. M. DeRord has been ill
for the past wreek.
Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Cox were
visitors in the home of Jack
Halsey Sunday afternoon.
Reka Paisley spent Saturday
night with Helen Rose.
Mrs. G. W. Kirk, who has
been ill since October, has im
proved considerably.
Mrs. Nannie Parsons and
daughter, Aileen, spent Sunday of
last week with Miss Maxine Par
sons, of Turkey Knob.
Miss Bettie Halsey, of Sparta,
spent the week-end with home
folks here.
A Mother’s Day program was
given here Sunday by the Sunday
school. The pageant, “Let’s Give
Mother a Rest”, by four girls and
three boys, and a reading, “Jesus,
Lover of My Soul,” by Mrs. W.
M. Paisley.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Delp and
children spent Sunday with Mr. j
and Mrs. A. C. Delp.
Dr. and Mrs. Mont Cox and j
children, of Independence, were I
visiting in this community Sun-j
day.
H. L. Shaver, Jr., of Winston- j
Salem, visited his uncle, Dewey!
Cox, Sunday. , i
Mrs. Mamie Delp was a visitor ;
in Sparta Saturday.
C. E. Cox was in Galax Sunday
to hear Dr. Bob Shuler.
Miss Gertrude Mooney, of
Mouth of Wilson, spent Sunday
with friends here.
Cecil Halsey, of Fox, visited in
the A. J. Halsey home Sunday.
“CALLING ALL DRIVEJRS”
You always have time to drive
safely.
A show-off at the wheel often
shows up at the hospital.
Observe the rules when passing
schools.
Another highway enemy: the
can’t wait driver.
SPEAKING OF
NECESSITIES
Certain items appear on every .
shopping list, Here is one that I
is as important as any other. ;
The Star-Times offers a year’s I
subscription PLUS a year’s sub
scription to PATHFINDER—the
news magazine with more than a
million subscribers—for the small
price of $1.30. It’s the best bar
gain you will find anywhere. Send
your order now and be among
the best informed in your neigh
borhood. Call us now before you
have started to do the housework
and you will know the day has
started right.
Skilled WATCH
^ _ REPAIRING
on fin*
WATCHES
All work fur>
an teed. Low*
est price*.
See "our line of Jewelry.
ALLEGHANY
WATCH CO.
Sparta, N. C.
[Four young people
go as delegates
from N. C. to the
—National 4-H Club camp in
Washington, D. C., June 12-19.
They are Rudolph Ellis, of Fay
etteville who entered 4-H Club
work four years ago and is now
making a name for himself in his
own peanut industry; Alfred
Greene, Durham County, who has
been in the club for nine years
and has completed projects with
pigs, com, poultry and garden
ing.
The two girls to attend this
club camp are Margaret Ellis,
Durham County, now serving as
president of the State council,
having been a member for nine
years and completed projects in
clothing, food preparation, room
improvement, poultry, home beau
tification, and gardening,
tification, and gardening, and Sue
Parker, of Jones County, who
has held prominent offices in her
club during her six years of mem
bership.
Citron
Citron, May 14.—Robert Fend
er, candidate for House of Repre
sentatives, was in this communi
ty Monday.
R. G. Taylor and Wilmer Fend
er made a business trip to North
Wilkesboro Monday.
Mrs. Dayton Dixon is slowly
improving.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Taylor
and son were in this community
Sunday, visiting his old home
place.
Mrs. Carrie Hamm Jones and
son, Jimmy, spent the week-end
with her brother and sister-in-law,
Rev. and Mrs. W. M. Hamm.
Dare and Lena Sheets, Atheleen j
and Iva Grace Hoppers visited '
Mrs. Edith Taylor Saturday.
A large crowd atended Moth- [
-—---I
Sparta Bus Schedule |
GREYHOUND
Detroit and Pittsburgh to Miami!
Lv. Sparta, northb’nd, 10:45 a.m.
Lv. Sparta, southb’nd, 3:15 p. m.
Fro Boone & W. Jeff’son, ar. 2 pan.
To ” ” ” » lv. 3:15 p.m.
N. Wilkesboro & Statesville Bus
To ” & Stat’ville, lv. 9:45 ajn.
From N. Wilkesboro, ar. 3:00 p.m.
To ” & Stat’ville, lv. 5.10 pan.
From N. Wilkesboro, ar. 10:80 p.m.
era Day services at Pine Fork
Church Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Carlie Osborne
visited the home of R. G. Taylor
Tuesday.
More than 225,000 children ifti
der 15 years of age were injured
in traffic accidents last year.
MODERN TEAM WORK
Believing in team work and
giving the greatest news service
possible to our readers, the Star
Times now offers the last word
in such service. For a limited
time only, we are offering a
year’s subscription to our paper
PLUS a year’s subscription to
PATHFINDER, the Nation’s most
widely read news magazine, for
the small amount of J1.30. Act
at once so that you may be among
the intelligent people who al
ready enjoy this offer.
II CALLING
To Tell You
About The New
SANITARY
LAUNDRY
just opened for Sparta
and Independence.
They will call
Tuesdays and
Thursdays, to
oollect and deliver
your work.
Sanitary Laundry
INDEPENDENCE
D. W. MOTOR CO. — SPARTA
’39 Dodge, 4-door, practically new, well cared for,
very low mileage.
’40 Ford, 2-door, almost new, only 4,000 miles.
’39 Ford Coupe .... $450
’37 Ford Coupe.
’31 Ford, Model A ... $100
’31 Ford, Model A Pick-up. Bargain.
’36 Ford V-8 Pick-up ..... $195
’35 Chevrolet Truck—114-ton—fair.
’39 Dodge Truck, clean, low mileage.
D. W. MOTOR CO. - SPARTA
THE HOUSE OF HAZARDS
BY MAC ARTHUR
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125
V you KNOW THAT GAMBLING /s ONE THIN6 I
^ DON'T WANT OUR CHILDREN TO EVER INDULGE M
IN... AN' YOU PERMIT A GAMBLING DEVICE
RI6HT IN OUR HOME—
ETC., ETC
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